Online Suicide: How Would We Handle It?

There isn't much we could do... As AshleyD stated, the one time we had something similar we ended up closing the thread and those who wanted to followed up with U2Us. This is a good thing because it does eliminate the attention seeker to some degree.

As the stewards and managers of The Above Network, LLC, we simply can't get involved with psychiatric evaluation and certainly not with dishing out medical advice.

Additionally, our privacy policy precludes us from "handing out IP Addresses" or calling the authorities unless we are presented with a court order to do so and even then it would be basically useless since many people use proxy IP addresses.

Sadly there are lots and lots of people hurting out there, I think the decency of our community may have already saved one person and I would hope that would be the case in the event another came along.

I guess the answer to the question in the OP is, "officially" there is nothing we could do, BUT our members could probably do quite a bit via U2U and just giving a dam about a fellow human being in pain...

Springer...

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


Depression is not "being sad", and it affects different people in very different ways.

And I'm glad you can laugh at people attempting suicide. Such a nice person.

I thought there was a person who posted here who actually did commit suicide. Wasn't there someone, a few years back, who was on an indian reservation or something?

I can't remember the details - I'm getting old.

Didn't he do a school shooting and then shot himself or something ...

He was a poster here and I think I remember ATS was cooperating with the feds in regards to his posts.

Or am I totally remembering this situation wrong?

distubed the mind is fragile one minute. it is the ride of your life an experience so uforic and complex the feeling of seriton injected into your brain and endorfins is short lived and iriplaceable. kidds u cant chemicaly just come close to touching heaven on earth for long as your brain rotts in way and instinctly you know yet addiction plays tricks and reality plays more the innocent mind is not for long as the explosions of chemisty and electricity that was handed to you in life arent as important the secret of life it self might not feel like much after all youve felt more than you ever needed but sadly in suicide they might never of felt what every one wanted them to feel or sympathised with how ever one will remember them

rest in peace my friend and brother

[edit on 21-11-2008 by Grimnal]

[edit on 21-11-2008 by Grimnal]

Wasn't the guy who shot up the church in Colorado a member here for a while?

I don't remember if he committed suicide in that act or not though.

Personally I would have a hard time beleiving it was actually a suicide threat... i would never encourage the person of course, but as someone already said, my first thought would be that it was just an attention-seeker.

Posting from the side of the person wanting to commit suicide now (Been on the edge 3 thimes the current year)

I have felt like posting in forums such as this one, somewhere I hope people would care enough to give me a bit of moral support and help me through it.

Looking at it now, I can see how people would very easily see it a attention seeking...but at the times, it would have meant everything to me to see just one poster give me just one reason why I shouldn't kill myself.

Now luckily all times I ran into and old friend of mine (Who I met on here actually) who helped me and talked me out of it. But if it wasn't for him, forums like this would have been my only support, and the only thing to stop me.

Support from a member could mean everything, and riddicule could cause something terrible indeed. So I would definately hope members would be supportive to anyone, no matter how they felt about that member...

[edit on 21-11-2008 by StevenDye]

Originally posted by StevenDye

Support from a member could mean everything, and riddicule could cause something terrible indeed. So I would definately hope members would be supportive to anyone, no matter how they felt about that member...

You are so right.

We all as human beings have equal inherent value.

Thanks for sharing your experience. It is an important statement for people to hear.

We should never forget that we, (ATS), are a family.

Like a family we will have our squabbles, tiffs, even fights, but when all the chaff has subsided, we are still here together; still a family.

Every family has it's trouble making cousin, grumpy uncle and contrary sister, but still a family unit, still pulling together when outside trouble comes calling.

The support I have been witness to here on ATS in my years here is nothing short of amazing. It honors me to be a part of it, to be apart of the family with you all.

Just sayin

Semper (The Grumpy Uncle)

The people that think anyone on the internet could have saved him, have never dealt with a suicidal person, without a doubt. Even if someone managed to occupy him with conversation for a few hours, he still would've eventually lost interest, shut down his PC and got it done.

It's terrible what happened but some people come to the realization, false or not, that this is the best thing for them. It's generally not a spur of the moment thing but a long build up and includes some often complex planning. It's only different this instance because he gave notice and thereby implanting the assumption of indecision when he knew full well what he was doing from the start.

I've lost two friends to suicide. Both times it came out of no where and neither left notes behind to explain. They were perfectly fine on the outside but clearly something on the inside was eating them, badly. I would've done anything for them to prevent it but not everyone wants help or will accept it.

This is a very sad topic and one close to my heart.

I lost my Dad to suicide. Having grown up with a manic depressive in the house, you see the good and the bad days. Everyone gets down at some time in their lives but to take the final step is the ultimate act.

Most people do not understand the depths of despair and sadness that people can go to. Even harder to understand if its a loved one.

Suicide is seen by alot of people as a cowardly act. I think that it is a personal act that only the person in the situation can explain. It is easy for the people left behind or outsiders to label it like this but hopefully they will never be in the situation to get a real understanding of it.

I think this young mans death in such a cruel and public manner is a lesson for everyone. To the people who use the forums and to the people who run the forums. If this death can be used as a example to save others from the same fate then he wont of died in vain. I am not saying he is a hero but stating that its too late to save him so lets take the positive from a negative situation. Make a example of the people who spurned him on and set a level of protocol.

I wish his family all the best in the present time. If you think someome is down, stranger or friend....a mere smile in the street or e-mail or text might make all the difference. Then you could be a hero in disguise!!!

Love , light and happiness to everyone. Thank you.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
You werent "cool" unless you tried to slit your wrists or down a bunch of pills at least once.

That says very little about your understanding of the situation, and a LOT about your family. Nothing more.

Having suffered severe depression, I can tell you that it is a #load more than just hopping on board a damn express train to attentionville and eating bloody tablets.

It's a slow and sickening ride to damn hell and you go there alone.

Having, this time, come through at least 6 years of one of these damn things, and finally seeing blue skies once again, it makes me sick to see people ridicule others for this disease, when they have so little understanding of it.

Funnily enough, I chose to not use medication this time - the damn crap makes all hell break loose as far as Im concerned.

OP, are you discussing the user Candie Junkie on Bodybuilding.com? I visit that site occasionally for nutrition and dieting advice. I stumbled across a thread about a disturbed younger guy talking about how depressed he was. The posters on that site all encouraged him to take a lot of xanax, which apparently he did. I was appalled that not only were people trying to get him to die by overdose, but after he did OD many were celebrating almost to the point of joy. There are some seriously sick people in this world.

Thread here

Found it. The poster was Weisse.

From what I know, none of my (good) friends have had suicidal thoughts, and neither have I. I can't really understand people who want to kill themselves. I wouldn't really know what to tell a person like that. My life hasn't been very good, but I still want to live. Even if it stays the same "forever", I still would rather live like this than go back to the nothingness.

I've never had a girlfriend; I have no skills; I have only a few good friends; I'm not bad at school, but there are definitely people better than me. I have little confidence; I'm not good-looking; I'm not creative. I can't ask people for what I want; I'm shy. I used to be bullied for no reason. People I love fade away. I'm awkward and I'm clumsy. I usually only look at the negative aspects of myself, and rarely see the positives. I feel I rarely do things right.

And yet I've never felt the urge to end it all. I've felt the urge to kill or hurt people who have wronged me (almost never nowadays), but not myself. I wouldn't encourage anyone to commit suicide.

[edit on 25-11-2008 by flyindevil]

4channers are getting on the news all the time lately. Par for the course. Good luck to those who were in the chat and not egging him on. Luckily, I was offline during that.

I wonder if the people who only said OMG or LOL will get into huge trouble, too?


Suicide is a sad thing, but it is also often used by attention whores.

I don't know how I feel about this situation.

Originally posted by ZombieOctopus
Even if someone managed to occupy him with conversation for a few hours, he still would've eventually lost interest, shut down his PC and got it done.

For some maybe but how would you know for sure before trying to help?
The only ones that you can't try to help are those that don't talk about it who will just go and do it with not big enough warning for you to know they will do it. Those are the ones who REALLY lost interest.

If someone posts about being sad no doubt people will believe that person, attention whores are very often easy to detect at some point.

Someone posting about committing suicide hm well attention whore or not, I say yes it worth giving it some of my attention. If for 10 or even 100 people it makes a difference for just one of them or even if I make one of them feel better for just 1min, it worth it.

When people ask for that kind of help, just give. What do you have to lose? Time? It's free. Even if that person is just screaming for attention and don't really mean to commit suicide or really just wants to get some attention, obviously he/she has pain somewhere either way. So you did what was right with the right intentions.



[edit on 28-11-2008 by GoldenGirl]

Personally I don't think that a person experiencing the depths of despair that bring about thoughts of suicide are attention whores.

That in itself could add to the feelings of worthlesness and wanting to leave this world.

How would you feel if you felt you couldn't cope with this life anymore and someone accused you of wanting attention.

A cry for help, maybe,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but attention...........Come on, who would feel so isolated and lonely that they would cry out for help when feeling ending it all is the only answer when they simply wanted attention?

There are many other ways to get attention. Perhaps they want attention in so far as they are in pain and need some support, but attention????

Please be more sensitive

My favorite saying when it comes to suicide is that it is a permenant solution to a temporary problem.

Many times suicide is situational, the situation can and will often change.

Remember my fellow ATS'ers.....................This too will pass.

reply to post by interestedalways


Unfortunately I have seen some doing that just to see who would beg them not to do it or to hurt some people... for vengeance for the pain others did to them.

I don't judge though and will always help... and if it is found later or becuase it was obvious or because they will admit, that they were faking well thats their own problem I did what I had to.

[edit on 29-11-2008 by GoldenGirl]

another lifetime loser wipes out. these events need to be scheduled and if marketed properly could yield high revenues. Lets face the facts the lower classes serve for the amusement of the haves anyway. if anything i find it disgraceful that only other have nots are privy to these events.